This 3 mile family walk takes in Ashness Bridge, Surprise View and Lodore Falls. With an optional visit to the delicious Mary Mount hotel and pub, on the shores of Derwentwater.

You can park in the National Trust Ashness Bridge car park at grid reference 269196 on OS map OL4. Cross Ashness Bridge and the parking is on the left.

Walk up the road, until you reach Surprise View on the right hand side. Beware there are dangerously steep drops and no fencing. But the view across Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite, towards Skiddaw is beautiful. To the left is Catbells, another family walk favourite!

Continue walking along the road for approximately 300 metres and you’ll see an unmarked footpath to the right. Take this path all the way down. It wiggles and winds and is steep in places with fallen trees. You’ll hear the river on your left. Towards the end the path takes a left turn and you will eventually appear at Lodore Falls.

After admiring the falls, turn right and follow the path that takes you to the road. Turn right at the road and the friendly Mary Mount hotel is on your left.

We stopped for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, beautiful views and hearty pub grub!

Continue along, on the roadside path for a little bit, until you cross the road at Kettlewell car park. You can take the path around the edge of the water until you reach the Watendlath road on your right (opposite the jetty). Stay on the road, which goes almost back on itself and walk uphill to your car at Ashness Bridge.

The full route map is here, the arrow shows the pub:

For a shorter version of this walk, you could do a simple out and back from Ashness Bridge to Surprise View and back. This would be pushchair friendly, as it’s along a good road surface. That would be 1 mile in total.

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